


Plot Introduction

by Ilthit



Series: Trope-Bingo: Round Two [1]
Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, Dysfunctional Family, M/M, Trope Bingo Round 2, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-31
Updated: 2013-07-31
Packaged: 2017-12-21 23:33:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/906261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilthit/pseuds/Ilthit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nana Barnes is going to be a problem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Plot Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> I may have signed up for Trope Bingo Round 2 while still working on Amnesty for Round 1. This is for the "coming out" square.

"Nana Barnes is going to get a gun and shoot me."

There were various noises of denial from Shirley and Annie, but Britta was nodding furiously.

"Troy, your family loves you," said Shirley. "They'll get over it."

"Shirley, you haven't met my family."

"I may not have met your family, but you've met mine. I know what I'm talking about. I had a cousin come out last year. There's some crockery I'm never seeing again, but they're all marching with her in Pride this year. I don't know about Jehovah's Witnesses, but in church we learn to hate the sin, not the sinner."

"Last year when Britta came over for dinner--" Britta's face crumbled. "We kind of decided not to talk about it ever again."

"No," said Britta. "Mr Barnes was right. I am a privileged, fake progressive 30-year-old teen rebel who handles life like game for winning liberal radical points."

"Aww, Britta," said Shirley.

"He was just wrong about why I was with Troy. Families are not all good. They lied to you about that. Husbands and wives tear into each other. Parents hurt their kids whether they want to or not, and kids-- Look, there was this mother I interviewed for my Psychology of Divorce class. She couldn't stop crying because her daughter had thrown away the dress she'd spent thirty hours making for her. Families are vile cesspits of human suffering and you can't always fix them, and sometimes the best way to survive is to get the hell out. Troy shouldn't have to go through that. Abed shouldn't, either."

Somehow everyone turned to look at Abed, who was writing on a notepad with one hand while the other massaged Troy's neck. He put down the pen in a way that could only be recognized as a guilty gesture if you knew Abed as well as they all did. "I told my Dad about being bi years ago. He yelled for a bit, but he felt bad about it afterwards so he made pancakes for dinner."

"I don't want to never see my folks again," Troy said. "They're not a cesspit even though they're just not going to get this. But, seriously -- Nana Barnes. I was not being metaphorical. If Nana finds out, she is going to get an actual gun and she is going to actually shoot me in the head. That's a real problem, not a hurt feelings kind of problem. What am I gonna do? I can't go to the police and ask them to lock up my grandmother because I know she's homicidal. Trust me, I tried that when I was ten. I've still got the scars."

There was silence around the table.

"I don't suppose there's anything we can do to stop them finding out now?" Annie said. "Interrupt the mailman? I could dress as a postal worker."

"The Dean sent an email."

"Wait a minute," said Troy. "Mom only reads her emails at night when she gets home. Dad's been forwarding everything into spam since 2006." He checked his watch. "We've still got two hours!"

Abed smiled. "Hacker suspense episode. Sounds good."


End file.
